Across India eBook

“I congratulate you, sir, on your escape from
the wreck of your ship,” said he. “I
thank God most earnestly that we have been able to
save all your party. I hope none were lost before
we made you out on the wreck.”

“Not one, Captain; and I join with you in reverent
gratitude to Him who rules the sea in calm and storm,
for our preservation from certain death, which would
have been our fate, one and all, but for the care and
skill with which you have worked out our salvation.
I thank you and the brave and noble officers and crews
of your boats with all my mind and heart. I speak
not for myself alone, but for all the ship’s
company of the Travancore, now gone to the bottom,”
replied Lord Tremlyn, again grasping the hand of the
commander.

In a short time the saved from the first cutter joined
the others on the promenade deck, and the Guardian-Mother
proceeded on her course to Bombay.

“Were you the captain of the Travancore, sir?”
asked the commander.

“I am only an amateur sailor,” said his
lordship; “but I was in command of the unfortunate
vessel, which was a steam-yacht of small dimensions,
in the service of the Indian government. Ah,
Dr. Ferrolan,” he continued as those from the
first cutter crossed the deck; and he grasped the hand
of the person addressed, “let us thank God first,
and then the commander of this ship, that we have
been preserved,—­all the ship’s company,
I am informed.”

“I join you most heartily, my Lord,” replied
the doctor. “Captain——­”

“Captain Ringgold,” prompted Mr. Boulong,
by whose boat he had been saved.

“Captain Ringgold, I am your debtor for life;”
and he proceeded to express his obligations more at
length. “Permit me to present to you Lord
Tremlyn, a gentleman who came to India on semi-official
business.”

“I am happy to know you, Lord Tremlyn,”
replied the commander; but the title did not appear
to make a very profound impression upon him.

“Captain Ringgold, allow me to introduce my
particular friend, Sir Modava Rao, a gentleman high
in the favor of the Indian government, and I may add
of all the native princes.”

The captain then invited the two titled gentlemen
and the doctor of the party to the cabin, while the
two engineers were turned over to Mr. Sentrick, the
chief engineer.

CHAPTER VI

Thegeneralintroductioninthecabin

It was still early in the morning, and the cabin party
were not disposed to remain any longer on the promenade
deck; for it was almost impossible for some of them
to stand up, even with the aid of the life-lines and
the rails, and all of them retreated to the boudoir
and music-room. None of them had been introduced
to the strangers; for they had asked to be excused,
as they were not in a presentable condition.